Fence-machine



(No Model.) I l W. SMITH 8E J. H. WILSON.'

f FENCE MACHINE. No. 423,395. Patented Mar. 1l, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

j VILLIAM SMITH AND JAMES HENRY IVILSON, OF OLARINDA, IOVA,ASSIGN ORS TO ORIN INGALSBE, OF CAMERON, MISSOURI.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,395, dated March 11, 1890.

Application iiled November 9, 1889. Serial No. 329,756. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, XVILLIAM SMITH and JAMES HENRY WILsoN, of Clarinda, in the county' of Page and State of Iowa, have in- 5 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Machines; and we do hereby declare t-he following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 1c to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in fence-making machines, and more particularly to a type in which the fence is composed of pickets that are secured at spaced inter- I5 vals on twisted-wire cables.

The primary objects of our present invention are to produce a machine of the character named which will be of simple compact construction, easy and convenient to operate,

zo and which will produce superior work in a rapid and reliable manner.

A further obj ect is to provide a picket-fence machine with a light strong frame for the support of the working parts, which is construct- 2 5 ed of tubing and the usual fittings that are employed to put gas, steam, or water pipes together.

Vith the mentioned objects in view our invention consists in certain features of con- 3o struction and combinations of parts, that will be hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

The accompanying drawing represent-s a perspective view of the machine complete 3 5 with a section of finished fence in place thereon.

The frame A of the machine consists of four uprights a., that are preferably made of metal pipe or tubing, these constituting the 4o corner-posts of a rectangular skeleton frame made entirely of the tubing and proper fittings that furnish a readyl and cheap means for securing the pieces of the frame together.

y At a proper-sized Ts are introduced in the 45 uprights a, thus affording lateral connections for the side pieces b and end piece b of the frame. At the top of the uprights a the fittings c are attached thereto, these latter affordin g secure means for the threaded attach- 5o ment of the side portions d of the frame.V

Near the center of the side-pieces d the Ts c are inserted, a space e', intervening between their adjacent ends. Short nipples extend downwardly from these Ts on one side, and other Ts f are connected to the depending 55 ends of the nipples. Other nipples g are inserted in the lower ends of the threaded Ts f, one of which nipples g engages a T h,while the other nipple is inserted in the four-way h', a leg h2 being inserted in the lower outlet 6o of this four-way, while a nipple h3 is inserted in the adjacent outlet-s of the T-fitting h and four-way 7L', thus producing a stable connection between the portions of the side piece d of the frame A.

In the fittings c, at the top corners of the front legs of the frame A, lateral orifices are formed that afford boxes for the journaled support of a horizontal shaft B, on which are mounted the bevel-pinions B these being se- 7o cured at spaced intervals thereon, and at the rear of this shaft a series of connected nipples e' and four-ways e" are located. These eX- tendfacross the frame parallel to the shaft B. The four-ways i', just mentioned,are spaced 75 apart in such relative positions with regard to the bevel-pinions on the shaft B that the spindles 7a, which are supported to revolve in orifices of these four-ways il" and on which the bevel-pinions 7c are fastened, will permit 8o the meshed engagement of the bevel-pinions 7c with the series of pinions B', as shown.

The spindles 7.5 have four-ways m formed in them to afford revoluble support for other shafts which carry the spools m', a pair of said 85 spools being affixed to the ends of each shaft, which are located in the four-ways, as stated, and project at right angles to the shafts k, so that the spools m are supported in proper position to be revolved around the shafts la, as 9e well as upon the shafts on which they are mounted and loosely secured.

On the rear ends of the hollow shafts k sealing-caps o are placed, and two perforations 1 2 are made in each cap end at opposite points 95 near the peripheral edge of the caps, said perforations being provided for the reception of the strands of wire that havebeen Wound upon the spools 'm' and led rearwardly to enter these holes, from whence they are extended to roo engage a transverse reel C, as will be more fully explained,

Across the frame of the machine and immediately below the T-fittings e the table D is located, one of its endsresting on the nipple lis, while the opposite end is in connection with the other side of the frame, the table being firmly supported ina horizontal position. On the table D l two bracket-arms p are fastenedby their feet, the arms being projected diagonally upward and forward, so that their upper ends may be hinged to the brakebar E. f

It is necessary to furnish a means for controlling the revolution of the spindles 7a; hence the provision of a convenient arresting device is made, of which the brake-bar E is a main feature. lSaid bar is hinged, as before explained, so that its lower edge,which is properly notched out to fit the spindles le', may be vibrated upwardly or be forced down upon ,the spindles to restrain them. About the center of length of the brake-bar E a link-bar q is shackled to the lower edge ofv the bar, which link is downwardly extended to loosely en,- gage the horizontal treadle F, the end of which projects outside of the machine on one side convenient to the crank B2, that is secured on the projecting` end of the shaft B. The legs on the rear end of the frame are upwardly extended higher than the top side bars of the frame A and terminate in L-fittings r a proper distance above said side pieces d of the frame, a cross-bar r joining the Ls and thus strengthening the rear end of the frame, while proper vertical space is afforded for the reel C and a bundle of completed fence material that may be rolled upon the reel.

To render the reel C effective, it must be provided with a means for its revolution, and a locking device must also 'be furnished to hold the reel at any desired point of its revoluble adjustment. To this end the reel consists of` a cross-shaft C which is j ourn aled in boxes C2 on the frame side pieces d, said shaft projecting beyond the frame on the same side as the treadle F, and a crank C2 is formed on this end of the shaft by which to revolve it.

0n the projecting end of the shaft C between the crank C2 and the outside of the frame A, the ratchet-wheels G G are placed and secured, and outside of these wheels the hand-lever H is loosely mounted, it being perforated laterally at a proper point to allow one end H that is extended forwardly to be manipulated by hand, while the rear terminal end H2 is provided with a springactuated pawl s, which is in engagement with the teeth of the outerratchet-wheel G, the vibration of the lever giving the shaft C a pary tial rotation at each vertical reciprocation of the lever.

has engagement with the teeth of said The inner wheel G is cut with` wheel G by its lower. end, it being properly shaped to adapt it for such an engagement and to produce a detent-pawl which will hold the reel from unwinding while the arm I is in locked contact with the teeth of the wheel G.

In operation the two strands of wire which are wound on the spools m' are rearwardly extended and fastened to the shaft C', the wires being drawn taut by the action of the crank onthe reel C and the brake-bar E, which latter presses on the wire tor, prevent the spools from unwinding, it being understood that the brake-bar is held down by the foot of the operator engaging the treadle F, which latter is held up by a, spiral spring t, so as to relieve the, brake-bar of its weight and allow the spindles k tobe readily revolved when the treadle is not purposely de-4 pressed. It will be seen that the holes in the sealing-caps of the spindle ends are all ad- `j usted in parallel planes, so that if one set is held vertical to spread the wires and permit a picket J to be inserted through the space e and between the two nearest wires the picket may be readily entered between lthe several sets of wires, which are spaced to engage the picket at proper points throughout its length. When a picket has been fullyinserted to align its end with a gage-bar 7a4 that is fastened on the table D, the crank-shaft B is revolved sufficiently t0 twist Vthe wires, said wires having been previously twisted or otherwise united to hold the irst picket fast.v

After one picket is secured the lever H is vibrated to revolve the reel C sufficiently to abut the rear edge of said picket against the studs u, that project from the top surface of the table D near its rear edge. This will so gage the next picket inserted through the feed-opening in the frame that all the pickets successively attached to the wire cable, as already explained, will be evenly separated and a neat substantial fence produced in continuous lengths, limited only by the containing capacity of the reel C. It is evident that the studs u may be changed in position on the table D, so that the pickets can be affixed at any desired distance apart within the capacity of the machine.

Thenv the reel C is iilled with completed fence material in a continuous roll, said roll may be readily removed by withdrawing the shaft C of the reel, the ends of the wire having been so secured to the shaft that the latter will slip out of the bundle endwise and- Ido IIO

permit said bundle of fence stuff to drop away l Y from the machine, when the parts may be replaced and wire connections again made with the reel-shaft in a few moments to resume the fence-making operation.

Many slight changes might be made in the construction of some of the minor details of this fence-machine without departure from the spirit or exceeding the scope of our invention; hence we do not wish to limit ourselves to the exact forms shown; but,

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl l. In a fence-machine, the combination,

with a frame, of a series of spindles that each carry spools on opposite sides thereof,mea11s for revolving the spindles, a brake-bar located in close proximity to and adapted to engage the several spindles, a device to depress the brake-bar, and a revoluble reel adapted to be rotated and held at any point of revoluble adjustment, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fenceanachine, the combination,-

with a frame and a reel journaled on the frame'and adapted to be adjustably secured at any point of revoluble adjustment with re-` gard to the frame, of a series of spindles, a pair of spools oppositely mounted on each of these spindles, a device to rotate all the spindles at the same time, a brake-bar located in close proximity to and adapted to engage the several spindles, and a means for depressing` the brake-bar, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fence-machine, the combination, with a frame, a crank-shaft mounted to revolve on the frame, bevel-pinions secured on this shaft, and a crank,of a series of spindles supported to rotate on the frame, a pair of revoluble spools mounted at opposite points on each spindle, and bevel-pinions secured on the spindles that mesh with the pinions on the crank-shaft, substantially as set forth.

Il. In a fence-machine, the combination, with a frame made up of tubular sections7 a` reel journaled on the frame, and a device that is adapted to rotate the reel and hold it at any point of revoluble adjustment, of a set of spaced spindles, a pair of wire-holding. spools loosely and oppositely mounted on each spindle,ameans to revolve the spindles, a brakebar located in close proximity to and adapted to engage the several spindles, a

treadle connected to the brake-bar, and

hinged brackets that are secured to a table and also to the brake-bar to permit the brakebar to swing upwardly, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fence machine, the combination, with a frame, a crank-shaft journaled on the vframe, a crank, and bevel-pinions iiXed at 4spaced. intervals on the crankshaft, of a set `ot spindles journaled in the frame in the same horizontal plane and parallel to each other, two wire-holding spools loosely-and oppositely mounted on each spindle, a hinged Abrake-bar that has contact with the spindles when depressed, a trcadle, and a device to connect the treadle with the brake-bar, substantially as set forth. A

6. In a fence-machine, the combination, with a frame, a crankshaft journaled in the frame, a crank, and bevel-pinions secured on the crank-shaft at spaced intervals, of a series of spindles journaled on the frame, each spindle provided with a pair of revolubly-mounted wire-holding spools that are held at oppositeV points on the spindle equidistant from its center, a hinged brake-bar located in close L. W. WARD,

C. L. SHOEMAKER. 

